The WNBA announced Monday that Minnesota Lynx coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve had been named Executive of the Year for the third time. The honor ties her with Atlanta Dream executive Dan Padover for the most wins in the award’s history.
The league said Reeve appeared on 13 ballots. Padover received 11 votes and Golden State’s Ohemaa Nyanin received eight. Executives from all 15 teams participated, and voters were barred from selecting themselves.
The recognition came after Minnesota’s 2026 season ended in a first-round playoff sweep by the New York Liberty. The Lynx entered the postseason as the top seed. The source reports Minnesota was the first No. 1 seed in WNBA history to be eliminated by a No. 8 seed.
The league cited Reeve’s selection of Olivia Miles with the second pick in the 2026 draft. Miles went on to be named unanimous Rookie of the Year and, according to the announcement as described in the source, set a rookie scoring record with 790 points. Reeve also signed Natasha Howard, who started all 44 games and earned an All-Star starting spot. Minnesota finished the regular season 33-11.
The source’s commentary criticizes Reeve’s public political statements and argues they should be considered when assessing her leadership. It also questions the award in light of the Lynx’s playoff exit. Those are the source author’s evaluations, not findings stated by the league. The award itself recognizes Reeve’s executive work; the announcement, as summarized in the source, highlighted roster decisions and did not address her political views.
Reeve had also received her fifth WNBA Coach of the Year award earlier in 2026. The source says this is the second season in which she has won both Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
